Crewe Alex were given a hiding by classy Preston as striker Joe Garner plundered four goals on Saturday.

The clinical forward had a field day against the Railwaymen, hitting a brace either side of the break, and Jermaine Beckford got the other.

Oliver Turton got the Alex consolation and Marcus Haber had a goal controversially ruled out, but in truth Steve Davis’s men were nowhere near the level of the promotion-chasers.

It ended Crewe’s five-match unbeaten run against the Lilywhites and cut their cushion from the drop zone to four points.

And with a daunting trip to League One leaders Bristol City to come on Tuesday, they still have a lot of work to do to avoid relegation.

Davis made one enforced change to the side that beat Scunthorpe last time out. The injured Greg Leigh was replaced by fit-again George Ray, and Jon Guthrie moved across to left-back to accommodate him.

Uche Ikpeazu, re-signed on loan on Friday, was among the substitutes.

Simon Grayson picked Jermaine Beckford, who had already scored against the Alex for Preston and Bolton this term, to lead his line.

The first real chance came Crewe’s way on six minutes. Oliver Turton got down the right and stood up a cross to the far post where Marcus Haber thumped a header on target but it was hacked off the line and keeper Sam Johnstone held a follow-up from Jamie Ness.

But the play quickly swung up the other end and Paul Gallagher raced clean through only to be denied by an excellent save from Paul Rachubka.

Captain Tom Clarke missed a free header from a dead ball just six yards out and Daniel Johnson wriggled free before rattling a post from 10 yards, as the Railwaymen struggled to hold the hosts.

And the breakthrough deservedly came on 11 minutes. An aerial battle was lost and Garner was afforded enough time and space to pick his spot and hit the net.

On 18 minutes Callum Robinson got down the left and fizzed a low ball across the face of goal which, fortunately for the visitors, nobody applied the finishing touch to.

Just as it looked as though Crewe had weathered the storm, it was 2-0. Gallagher was given space to float a ball to the far post and the diminutive Garner was unmarked and unchallenged as he directed his header into the far corner, on 23 minutes.

The hosts stayed on top and it looked set to be an excruciating afternoon for the Railwaymen but, out of the blue, they were back in it.

On 34 minutes Haber’s excellent hold-up play was key to Turton running in behind and although Johnstone got a hand to the full-back’s weak shot, it trickled in at the far corner.

It was a lifeline Crewe never looked like getting and it lifted the players. Preston had loud penalty appeals for a shove on Garner waved away by referee Chris Kavanagh, while Haber had a shot well saved on the stroke of half-time, but the Alex were alive in a game they had looked dead and buried in.

Beckford got in behind Harry Davis seconds after the restart but failed to make a decent contact on the lofted ball that found him.

Then, on 50 minutes, Johnson found space after Alex players got sucked into trying to win the ball, and Racubka had to beat away a powerful strike at the near post.

On 54 minutes Anthony Grant’s pass was intercepted and Beckford was played in behind and the striker cleverly lifted the ball over the diving Rachubka only for Davis to get back and hook the ball off the line.

Just before the hour mark there was controversy when Haber slid in to hit the net, only for the referee to disallow it – much to the amazement of the away fans. A tug on a shirt was signalled as the reason.

A last-ditch tackle from Davis as well as a missed sitter by Beckford kept the scoreline tight and, on 65 minutes, Steve Davis made a double substitution. Alan Tate and Nicky Ajose were withdrawn for Ikpeazu and George Cooper, as the visitors switched to 4-4-2.

But on 72 minutes the class of Garner paid off again. He jinked in from the left and curled a sublime effort over Rachubka and into the far corner.

Chris Atkinson came on for James Jones, but the Alex threw the towel in during the closing stages.

On 80 minutes Beckford easily turned George Ray and brought an excellent save from Rachubka. But when the ball came back off the post Garner had time to actually celebrate his fourth before prodding it in.

And on 82 minutes Ray desperately appealed for offside as Beckford strode through and finally got the goal he had been looking for all afternoon.